How to treat eczema in children

Eczema is an allergic reaction expressed in the skin, most commonly found in infants and young children. It consists primarily of itchy, inflamed patches on the face, elbows, knees, and wrists. Many children with eczema also develop hay fever and asthma. Treatment of eczema may require some attention from parents because children can’t figure it out of on their own.

Eczema Cream 

The simplest alternative treatment for eczema is to apply an herbal topical cream made from German chamomile and/or licorice. Representative trade names are Simicort and Camocare. However, according to the experts, topical steroid creams are significantly more effective than these herbal substitutes in real life. According to them, zinc supplementation can be moderately effective. The proper dose is 30 mg. of zinc picolinate daily. In long term zinc therapy, always add 1 mg. of copper daily for balance.

Using Flax Oil

The experts recommended flax oil as well, taken in a dose of one tablespoon a day. Flax oil should not be cooked, although it can be added to soups after they are removed from the stove. Unfortunately, children hate the taste.

Digestive Enzymes

Finally, digestive enzymes sometimes alleviate eczema. Theoretically, such enzymes decrease the possibility of developing allergic reactions to foods, which may explain their usefulness here. The proper dose is 500 mg. of pancreatin 10X USP with each meal. For children 30 to 60 pounds, this should be reduced to 250 mg. of pancreatin; children under 30 pounds should only take 100 mg. (Before any treatment and for patients with ulcer should use pancreatin only under doctor’s supervision.)

A related technique involves increasing stomach acid with betaine HCL.

Get to Know Your Child’s Diet 

A more difficult but perhaps ultimately more effective approach in getting rid of eczema involves identifying and eliminating food allergens. Milk is the most common culprit, although wheat, eggs, and corn are only a little way behind. According to the experts, when combined with the treatment mentioned above, food allergen identification and avoidance reduced symptoms of eczema in most children.

However, placing a child on a severely restrictive diet can produce serious emotional complications. I recommend it only as a last resort.